“J-Town Beat,” released Sept. 26, is the 19th album from Hiroshima, the Grammy-winning group that played a major role in establishing jazz-fusion as a major music genre. Hiroshima co-founder Dan Kuramoto said the idea that anchors the album came from a dear friend with a vision.

“‘J-Town Beat’ was really a concept conceived by our friend, Duane Ebata. He was the driving force of the Japan America Theatre in Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo.”

As manager and artistic director of the Japan America Theatre, now known as the Aratani Theatre, Ebata sought out the best in Japanese American and Asian Pacific Islander programming, and is largely credited for the rise in popularity of taiko performance.

Ebata created a series of concerts called “Kokoro” (in Japanese, “from the heart”) that focused on artists committed to exploring their own multiculturalism.

“He encouraged June to do a solo concert, myself as well,” Kuramoto said, referring to original band member June Kuramoto, a master koto player who has released solo CDs in addition to her work with Hiroshima.

Ebata, who often held symposiums on Japanese American performing arts and served on panels for groups such as the National Endowment for the Arts, died of cancer in 2000 at the age of 49.

“We wanted to take Duane’s idea and apply it to an entire CD project. For us, the preservation of ethnic enclaves is one of the keys to the cultural diversity of this country. That mix is what makes this country so vibrant,” Dan Kuramoto said.

The latest collection finds Hiroshima taking influence from local hangouts and distant lands, and even includes a re-worked version of “Cruisin’ J-Town,” one of their earliest recordings.

“This is a re-visitation of the first song off our second album,” Kuramoto explained. “After all, if we do a record called ‘J-Town Beat,’ how could we not do this one? For a different ‘vibe,’ I put a Latin spin on it, a tribute to my East L.A. heritage.”

“J-Town Beat” opens with sounds familiar to practically anyone who has spent a fair amount of time in and around the JA community… Celebrated percussionist Kenny Endo provides many different rhythms, kakegoe (calls made by the drummers) and unique Japanese percussion instruments. June Kuramoto comes from behind her iconic koto and sings and plays the shamisen in the beginning of the song.

“I wrote this song based on a number of my musical and cultural influences,” Dan Kuramoto recalled. “The title is actually the title of an amazing musical theater piece by Stomu Yamashita. It was like a commentary on contemporary Japanese culture in conflict with its own history.

“Several years later and a few Japan tours for the band, one of the many things I really dug were the Obon festivals. They were so surreal, with spikey-haired kids and ladies in kimonos and all this Japanese folk music and everyone dancing — and great food! So this is sort of my tribute.”

Other tracks draw their inspiration from locales as far off as France and Hawaii, with the tune “Da Kitchen” providing a sonic homage to a plate-lunch restaurant on Maui.

“J-Town Beat” is available at Apple’s iTunes, Amazon.com and from the band’s own website:

Jazz band Hiroshima plays tribute to Boston bombing victims

We spent a wonderful evening this week at the legendary Scullers Jazz Club, in Boston, enjoying the music of June and Dan Kuramoto and their band, Hiroshima. Scullers is located right in last week’s lock-down zone. Dan and June played some special music to express their “Boston Strong” solidarity with the audience.

This true story is of a girl, Sadako Sasaki, who lived in Hiroshima at the time of the atomic bombing by the United States. She developed leukemiafrom the radiation and spent her time in a nursing home creating origami (folded paper) cranes in hope of making a thousand of them. She was inspired to do so by the Japanese legend that one who created a thousand origami cranes would be cured by the gods. Her wish was simply to live. However, she managed to fold only 644 cranes before she became too weak to fold any more, and died on 25 October 1955 in the morning. Her friends and family helped finish her dream by folding the rest of the cranes, which were buried with Sadako. They also built a statue of Sadako holding a giant golden origami crane in Hiroshima Peace Park.

Now every year on Obon Day, which is a holiday in Japan to remember the departed spirits of one’s ancestors, thousands of people leave paper cranes near the statue. On the statue is a plaque: “This is our cry. This is our prayer. Peace on Earth.”

The book has been translated to many languages and published in many places, to be used for peace education programs in primary schools. Sadako’s story was also dramatized at the opening ceremony of the Goodwill Games 1990 in Seattle wherein Seattle schoolchildren, working from the 644 cranes sent by Japanese schoolchildren, completed the unfinished 356 cranes for Sadako, and sent them aloft into the skies in honor of Sadako and world peace.

Two-time Grammy nominated American jazz fusion band Hiroshima returns to Yoshi’s Oakland, Friday, August 17-Sunday, August 19, 2012, with new music from their latest CD Departure. It is the follow-up to their 2010 Grammy-nominated Legacy CD. Departure is available on the Hiroshima website, iTunes, Amazon.com, facebook and CDbaby.

Yoshi’s Oakland is located at 510 Embarcadero West, Jack London Square in Oakland. Performances are Friday, August 17th at 8pm & 10pm, Saturday, August 18 at 8pm & 10pm, Sunday, August 19 at 6pm & 8pm. All sets are $28. Click here for tickets.
Dan Kuramoto co-founder and leader of the band stated, “After more than 30 years in the recording industry — and almost 4 million records sold we’ve decided to leave record companies behind and venture on our own. “It is a new beginning for us in many ways. Departure is a journey of nine songs — all originals with just one guest artist, the incredible harmonica player Tetsuya “Tex” Nakamura. The opening track “Have You Ever Wondered,” is a luscious, textured piece featuring Nakamura and June’s shimmering koto.

“Koto Cruise,” is the second song and features a funky groove and a burning koto solo, “Blues for Sendai,” a soulful jazz blues piece, is dedicated to the spirit of the Japanese people who are rebuilding after the tragedies of March, 2011. The rockin’ blues in “Smiling Jack,” recalls the music of the 80’s and features the roaring B3 organ playing of Kimo Cornwell The sensual soul of “See You Again,” is a tribute to our friend and mentor James Moody. If you listen closely you’ll hear “Moody’s Mood for Love.”

After many years of requests, we offer our first live taiko recording, “Yamasong Duet” – – capturing the voice and the thunder of Shoji’s taiko and Danny’s fierce percussion interplay. The power and spirit of “First Nation,” a composition by the Hawaiian Kimo Cornwell, is a song embracing many native cultures – – and some serious jazz.

Departure ends with two new visitations to our most popular songs, “Thousand Cranes,” and a soulful version of “One Wish,” done as an acoustic trio.”

Dan Kuramoto, co-founder of the two-time Grammy nominated jazz fusion band HIROSHIMA, was in the middle of laying down tracks for their next CD, when I chatted on the phone with him recently. He asked me to hold a moment while he put down his saxophone, then shared that HIROSHIMA is performing a Benefit Concert for Japan at B.B. King Blues Club & Grill in New York on September 21, 2011. Click here for photos from their soundcheck.

I am psyched as the unique concert will feature songs that have been the hallmark of HIROSHIMA’s 30 year career. Special guest stars on the bill include Machan on vocals, Kaoru Watanabe on Fue/percussion, David Henry Hwang on Electric violin and a surprise guest artist.

David Henry Hwang Photo by Lia Chang

Nominated for a 2010 Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental Album, HIROSHIMA are the only Asian American Band to receive a coveted Grammy nomination and LEGACY marks their second.

Hiroshima embraces cultural diversity with innovative music that blends Jazz, Pop, R&B, and World music with Eastern and Western instruments. The group crossed over into Smooth Jazz stardom with the smash hit “One Wish” from the best-seller Gold album “Another Place.” Hiroshima’s “Go” topped Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz chart and won a Soul Train Award for “Best Jazz Album.”

HIROSHIMA performs in a special benefit concert for Japan at BB King Blues Club & Grill in New York on September 21, 2011.

Profits from this concert will go to the Japan Relief Fund to help recovery from the Tsunami and Earthquake disaster.
Artists subject to change.

September 21, 2011 8pm
B.B. King Blues Club & Grill, New York
237 West 42nd St, Times Square, New York City

As a photographer and videographer, Lia collaborates with artists, organizations and companies in establishing their documentary photo archive and social media presence. She has been documenting her colleagues and contemporaries in the arts, fashion and journalism since making her stage debut as Liat in the National Tour of South Pacific, with Robert Goulet and Barbara Eden. Lia currently plays Nurse Lia on “One Life to Live”. She has appeared in Wolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman and “New York Undercover”.

Selections of Lia’s archive of Asian Pacific Americans in the arts, fashion, journalism, politics and space are now in the newly created LIA CHANG THEATER PORTFOLIO in the ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN PERFORMING ARTS COLLECTION housed in the Library of Congress Asian Division’s Asian American Pacific Islander Collection.